Run! The Lost Princess of the Black Wolves

Chapter 42 - The burden of expectations

"Thank you, but I think I'll pass," Chloe replied, flashing a tight-lipped smile at Thora and Cassiopeia as she stood up from her chair. She felt that she had endured more than enough of this conversation. "You haven't heard of anyone finding my phone, have you?" She looked at Thora expectantly, wishing for a magical intervention that would lead to a positive answer.

"No," Thora responded, reclining back into her armchair and flipping through her photo album. "You must have left it in your car or something," she continued, absentmindedly browsing the pages, clearly disinterested in continuing the discussion.

Chloe let out a sigh, turning around to leave. Just as she reached the door, she noticed Cassiopeia taking her place next to Thora, once again attempting to persuade her to attend the festivities with Marcus instead of Arnulf. Chloe opened the door and stepped outside, closing it behind her, but she lingered behind, eavesdropping.

"Grandmother, please," Cassiopeia pleaded again, her voice filled with desperation. "Let Arnulf have Freya Borg instead. She's sweet and innocent, just the way he likes it. Spare me from this burden. I will find myself a suitable mate on the day you allow me to attend the various balls and festivities across the country."

"And who will take care of our pack?" Thora scoffed, giving Cassiopeia a hard time. "You seem to forget that you're Arnulf's only child. The Praetors are the only suitable candidates among the Northern packs. Or perhaps you wish to follow in your aunt's footsteps… Betray your family and abandon the North? Live among the savages in the South?"

Chloe stiffened, her hand gripping the doorknob. Should she go back inside? Should she say something? But no… This was not her battle to fight.

Cassiopeia groaned in frustration. "Of course not! But what if I meet my fated mate? And what if Iron comes around, realizing I should be the one for him...? Now that Cato disapproves of Chloe so much, maybe he'll realize it's better to have a mate from the North who understands our ways... not some southern savage girl."

"Stop nagging about your fated mate or Iron," Thora hissed. "I'm sick and tired of it. Iron isn't interested in you. He's going to mate with Chloe. Even if Cato is a bit disappointed at the moment, I'm sure he'll come around when he sees Iron's affections. Have you seen them together? He adores her. He even told Cato that he believes Chloe is his second chance mate! So, your pursuit is in vain, Cassie. You must give up and make amends with Arnulf instead. Get to know each other. I'm certain you'll learn to tolerate each other eventually."

"I've known Arnulf all my life," Cassiopeia's voice trembled with frustration, her sorrow evident in her tone, almost on the verge of tears. "I know him, grandmother. We'll never be happy together..." Chloe could hear her cousin's sobs, and she couldn't help but feel a twinge of sympathy. What a fate to grow up in such circumstances…

"You don't have to love him or be happy with him. You're not some princess in a child's fairytale, Cassie," Thora uttered sternly. "You will mate with Arnulf to ensure our pack has the Alpha it deserves. We can't have a weak Southerner like Marcus Borg coming here and taking the Alpha position! As for your affairs with others, that's a different matter. You can have as many lovers as you want. I'm sure you and Arnulf can figure something out."

As Cassiopeia continued to cry, Chloe quietly left, walking down the corridors toward the west wing. Even if she considered Cassiopeia to be a terrible person, her heart was aching for her. And she was so young! How horrible it had to be to grow up under constant scrutiny and the weight of everyone's expectations…

Another thing that surprised Chloe was how little importance they seemed to give to their search for their fated mates, at least within the Crassus or Praetor families. It was as if they were trying to control every little aspect of their offspring's lives, refusing to leave anything to chance or fate. It made Chloe wonder… Had Cato truly been her mother's fated mate? Maybe all of that had just been a charade, like everything else in this household.

Lost in her thoughts, Chloe accidentally bumped into Marcus, who was walking side by side with Arnulf, both of them absorbed in a lively discussion. However, upon seeing Chloe, Marcus straightened up and appeared tense, his insecurity evident. Arnulf, on the other hand, raised an eyebrow, wearing a sly smile.

"Chloe..." Marcus paused, reaching out for her. "How are you? I..."

"Marcus, Arnulf," she nodded at them respectively, her voice cold and devoid of emotion. "I'm just fine, thank you."

"I need to talk to you..." Marcus pleaded, moving away from Arnulf. "Please, Chloe…"

"Have you seen my phone?" Chloe interrupted him, not wanting to discuss matters in front of Arnulf.

"No, should I have?" Marcus looked bewildered and stressed.

"No, I was just wondering,” A tinge of frustration colored Chloe's voice as she looked down at her hands. “It has been missing since we arrived here. Do you think you could check if it's in your car? I really need it..."

"Of course," he hastily replied, searching for her gaze. "Anything you want..."

"Didn't my brother give you a brand new one?" Arnulf chimed in, giving Chloe a challenging stare.

"He did," Chloe nodded, shooting him a cold gaze. "But I prefer my old one."

"We'll see if it turns up," he retorted with a grin, leaving Chloe with a sense that something was fishy... Could he have taken it? But no, why would he? On the other hand, one could never be certain when it came to Arnulf.

"Yes, we’ll see," she shrugged, redirecting her attention to Marcus. "Where is Freya?"

"I don't know, maybe in her room," Marcus mused. "I'll mindlink her and find out."

As Marcus zoomed out, starting to mindlink Freya, Chloe seized the opportunity to lock gazes with him and establish their own mindlink.

"Marcus, what are you doing with Arnulf?” She attempted to convey her emotions and concerns through the mindlink, even if she had to be careful not to let Arnulf notice their exchange. “You do know he's a scumbag and that he's after your little sister, right?"

"I've told you, Arnulf is decent. It's Iron and you that worry me..." Marcus replied hesitantly.

"Oh, yes, you're so concerned! Concerned enough to sleep with Cassie..." Chloe couldn't help but scoff.

"I'm sorry," Marcus's voice echoed in Chloe's mind, his eyes filled with remorse.

"Whatever," Chloe retorted. "But I'm telling you, Arnulf is trouble. Keep him away from Freya."

"Marcus, snap out of it," Arnulf interrupted their conversation with a sneer. "Can we move on? I still want to discuss how to handle the Eastern packs, and I believe Iron is waiting for us."

"Freya will meet you in her room," Marcus offered Chloe an apologetic glance. "See you later."

"Don't forget to look for my phone," Chloe called after them as they departed down the corridor, before she turned around and made her way toward the northern wing. She felt quite pleased with herself as she realized she was starting to know her way around this castle, the maze-like corridors not as impossible to navigate any longer.

As Marcus had said, Chloe found Freya in her room, lying in bed and casually scrolling through social media on her phone. "Hi!" she greeted Chloe cheerfully as she entered. "How was your rendezvous with Granny?"

"She's awful," Chloe groaned, slumping down beside Freya on the bed. "I miss my nana."

"You can't be homesick already," Freya teased, embracing Chloe. "We have so many adventures ahead of us!"

"About that..." Chloe gave Freya an apologetic smile. "Would you be terribly upset if I decided to go home to the River Valley Pack after this, instead of staying at the Emerald Lake Pack? There are some things I need to sort out with my mother. Being here has been utterly chaotic..."

"Please, do tell," Freya eagerly encouraged, looking at Chloe with anticipation.

"Where should I begin?" Chloe chuckled, shaking her head with disbelief.

After Chloe had shared all the details she had uncovered about her mother's past, Freya sat there, her mouth hanging open in astonishment, looking at Chloe with a mix of disbelief and amazement, as if she couldn't quite believe what she was hearing. The shock on Freya's face was evident, as if she thought Chloe had just spun an incredible tale right before her eyes.

"You can't be serious!" Freya gasped, clearly trying to process it all.

"Oh, I’m dead serious!” Chloe nodded. “But please, don't tell anyone. I don't think anyone is supposed to know about this... It's a very well-preserved secret."

"Of course, I won't breathe a word. Your secrets are safe with me," Freya nodded enthusiastically, her eyes gleaming with excitement. "But who could have known your mother was such a fascinating person with such a captivating past?"

"I wouldn't trade places with her, though," Chloe grimaced. "And I almost feel sorry for Cassie. It's like she's living a similar life to my mother's, except they haven't trained her to become a warrior."

"Don't feel sorry for Cassie," Freya scoffed. "She's a terrible person, such a snob. Thinks she's better than everyone else."

"True! But still... Did you know she and Arnulf are supposed to become each other's mates?" Chloe hoped to discourage Freya from any involvement with him.

"I have no interest in mating with Arnulf," Freya declared mischievously, accompanied by a playful giggle. "I just want to have some fun with him. But yes, yes!" she raised her hands as Chloe was about to protest. "I know. I won’t. I will stay away from him, as you said.”